First Data Forum held in Nairobi to help Government foster growth through Data Collection

Today, data can be collected by a variety of sources on almost every activity we undertake from making a phone call to visiting a health centre to travelling.

This data when collected anonymized and then analysed has the potential to unlock important insight into human behavior that can help to create more well informed development policies and interventions thus accelerating development and economic growth.

While data has been employed by the private sector, the use and focus on data within the development and governance spheres is still relatively low. It is in regards to this that the office of the Deputy President has today hosted the first National Forum on Harnessing Data Revolution for Sustainable Development.

Speaking during the event, Deputy President William Ruto said that the Government was committed to creating an inclusive data ecosystem involving government, private sector, academics, non-profit organizations, local communities and development partnership that tackles the informational aspects of development decision making in a co-ordinated way.

“The UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, emphasized on the need of data revolution as a critical aspect of the SDGs. This is as a result of the realization that unlike 2000 when MDGs were ushered in, the world today is witnessing incredible increase in the scale and volume of data production. In 2010 Google argued that the globe was creating as much data every two days as had been created between the dawn of civilization and 2003.”

He also added that timely, accurate and accessible data are essential for governments to deliver services efficiently equitably and transparently. Unfortunately even with so much progress in innovation basic data like births and deaths are still not available and therefore need to achieve full potential of data driven development.

The holding of the Forum marks Kenya’s first step in working towards the Global Partnership for a Data Revolution and establishes Kenya as a leader on the African continent and globally in working to harness data revolution for sustainable development.

Deputy President William Ruto also asked mobile phone service providers to reduce the cost of data bundles saying that while the cost of handsets goes down the cost of data has increased making it impossible for power of data revolution to take place in the country.

He said the government is concerned about the high cost of accessing the Internet on mobile phones. He also added that operators should work with government to bring down the cost of data to enable more Kenyans interact. He also called upon legislators to think about legislation than can enhance data reciprocity, enabling individuals to own and monetize their own information.

“The Government is finalizing on the data protection law both aimed at incentivizing the data revolution while safe guarding individual freedom,” added Mr. Ruto.

The forum seeks to domesticate the data revolution through creating data ecosystems around the important themes of agriculture education health water and sanitation and the cross cutting themes of climate change, inclusivity of public finance management ICT and innovation.

By ensuring more timely and accurate data in the hands of policy and decision makers, the Data Revolution as the forum will contend, holds immense potential to accelerate Kenya’s development. The Data Revolution will enable evidence based decisions in government the private sector and among Civil Society Organizations and donors.

Decision-making based on Data has the potential for creation of wealth and jobs improved health increased agricultural productivity the ability to mitigate the effects of climate change. Therefore government private sector CSOs and donors must work together to ensure that their data is shared made open and interoperable.

The holding of the first ever National Forum on Harnessing the Data Revolution on Sustainable Development sets Kenya as a leader both on the African continent and globally in recognizing the potential of the data revolution and seeking to harness it to propel sustainable development and economic growth.

The event was as well graced by Honorable Wycliff Oparanya, Governor Kakamega County and Chair of Finance Committee Council of Governors, Prof Judi Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary of Environment Natural Resources and Regional Development among other delegates.